JCA Today
30 Heshvan, 5783 | November 24, 2022
30 Heshvan, 5783 | November 24, 2022
CEO Message
Lana Kofman
Mum For Mum
Tanya's Georgian Flatbread
Find Your Next Role
December
A Gathering Of Community
Centennial Property Group
It’s hard to believe that this is our final newsletter of the year. Thank you to the many people who have contributed, read, commented and shared our monthly communication. We really appreciate your support and we welcome your continued feedback and even suggestions for themes.
This month our focus is on women and the many ways that they continue to drive our community forward. In 2022 National Council of Jewish Women Australia celebrates ‘100 years of purpose, passion & power’. A century of striving for social justice by improving the quality of life for women, children, and families and by safeguarding individual rights and freedoms. Such important work.
In NSW we celebrate the work of Mum for Mum and the support they provide new parents as they navigate life with a baby. Having recently undertaken this journey I can finally fully appreciate how vital this service is particularly for parents who may not have family, friends and support network around them.
We also acknowledge the many years of service of Lana Kofman in her role as Manager of Volunteer Services at JewishCare. What an incredible contribution Lana has made to our local Jewish community and the many Russian descendants among us.
We congratulate our own Tanya Shmulburd who celebrates 43 years in Australia this month and 5 years with JCA. We are extremely proud of the gender and cultural diversity within our JCA team.
We look forward to returning with a New Year newsletter at the end of January.
Wishing all of our local Jewish community a rejuvenating and hopefully sunny December break.
Shabbat Shalom,
Alain Hasson
CEO
Meet Lana Kofman, Manager of Volunteer Services at JewishCare. Lana has been with JewishCare for 28 years as a staff member and prior to that 2 years as a volunteer and has been instrumental and pivotal to the development of JewishCare’s army of volunteers. Greeting everyone with a smile, she is often called upon to liaise with clients who are Russian speakers. Her main achievement is that she has recruited Russian speakers as volunteers though it is absolutely not within the culture of the former USSR residents.
“Every day I come to work is different with another challenge or opportunity. I am a very lucky person as I work with amazing people who make such a difference in the lives of other members of their community. As volunteers, not only do they give of their time but they give a little piece of their heart. For me this is both motivating and inspiring. I manage upwards of 500 volunteers but we always have room for more people to be involved in our community.”says Lana.
To become part of Lana's team of volunteers you can email her - [email protected]
With close to 200 volunteers, National Council of Jewish Women NSW’s Mum for Mum program continues to grow and thrive as the demand for support has increased particularly in the Randwick and South Sydney areas.
With inclement weather and Covid exhaustion, many people are still isolated, anxious and withdrawn. This is where Mum for Mum volunteers make a huge difference. As a non-denominational home-visiting program, trained volunteers who are mothers themselves visit an expectant mum in the last trimester of pregnancy and for the first year of their baby’s life in order to provide emotional support. With the changes in people’s lifestyles, where most mothers are not living in close proximity to their families or the supports with which they grew up, Mum for Mum aims to relieve isolation and reduce anxiety and depression, through creating a safe and caring space for mums to delight in their babies and develop secure attachment.
With fortnightly training and supervision offered to volunteers in subjects such as active listening, mental health, domestic violence awareness and cross-cultural communication – there is so much more to the program than only the deep one on one relationship which is formed with the new mother. The program has also seen profound outcomes with the telephone counselling they now offer to mothers who live too far to benefit from face to face visits.
Those providing help also benefit from the program.
“I regularly receive grateful feedback from our volunteers saying that their M4M training has vitally benefited them when parenting their own children, particularly when their own children become parents”. commented Nadene Alhadeff, CEO of Mum for Mum. “Such is the impact that we are now considering running support groups in the community for new grand parents not only for our current volunteers.”
In exciting news, the program has been nominated as a finalist in the Mental Health Matters Awards. This award recognise the achievements of individuals and organisations large and small who have worked to improve understanding, awareness, service provision and the general mental health of our communities in NSW over the previous year. The nominating committee wrote to the organisation “Congratulations! Mum for Mum has been chosen as a finalist for the Community Initiative Award. The nominations this year were of an incredibly high standard, and the judging panel found your nomination to be one of the standouts in this category!”
Here are just a few quotes from their volunteers and participents:
"No matter how many years you are involved in this program there is always something to be reminded of or learn."
"The courses I have participated in have given me a great insight into many other peoples' plights and have taught me to be more tolerant of others."
"My life is much richer since joining MUM FOR MUM, I truly thank you for all you do."
JCA is proud to support the work of Mum for Mum and commends their volunteers on their outstanding commitment to growth and support.
If you are a parent with older children and have the time to commit to ongoing training and weekly home visits, Mum For Mum would love to speak to you.
Please apply through their website www.mumformum.org.au or contact Nadene Alhadeff at [email protected]
"Being part of JCA team brings me social interaction with people in the team and a warm feeling of belonging to the Jewish community, which accepted me and my family with open arms back in 1979 when I came to Australia from Ukraine as a refugee."
Tanya Shmulburd - Fundraising Accounts Manager
There's lots to love about khachapuri. This classic Georgian flatbread has an egg cracked on top when it's partially baked, then it's cooked until the egg is set to your liking. It's served topped with a sliver of butter - tear off bread from the edge to mix in the butter and dunk into the egg and cheese filling.
Step 1: Combine flour, yeast and 1 tsp salt in a bowl, and make a well in the centre. Add milk, egg and melted butter to well, and mix to form a soft dough. Turn out onto a floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic (4-5 minutes). Place in a lightly oiled bowl, turn to coat dough in oil, cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place until doubled in size (1-2 hours).
Step 2: For cheese and egg filling, place cheeses, parsley a bowl, season to taste and mix well to combine. Preheat oven to 220C and line an oven tray with baking paper.
Step 3: Divide dough into 4 equal pieces and, working with a piece at a time, roll out to a rough 15cm x 25cm oval giving it shape of gondola and leave to rest for 15 minutes.
Step 4: Spread a quarter of the filling over each oval, leaving a 2cm border. Fold in border to form a raised edge, then pinch and twist ends to form a boat shape. Transfer to oven tray, brush edges of dough with egg wash and place in oven.
Step 5: Reduce heat to 180C and bake for 10 minutes, then remove from oven and make an indentation in the centre of each boat with the back of a spoon.
Step 6: Crack an egg into each, tuck a few cubes of butter into the filling and bake until egg sets (4-5 minutes).
Top each khachapuri with a slice of butter, scatter with extra chives (optional) and serve with lemon wedges. Enjoy!
From a young age, my parents have instilled in me deeply, the importance of community, and it has therefore always been pivotal part of mine, and my family’s lives.
I grew up in the warm St Ives Jewish community and attended both KTC and Masada College (where I graduated). I spent my gap year in Israel on the B'nei Akiva program MTA, and on my return, volunteered as a madricha in the youth movement, eventually serving as the Deputy Director. I recently earnt my Bachelor of Commerce from UNSW and have put my skills and knowledge to use at Youth HEAR (Holocaust Education And Remembrance), where I currently sit on the Management Committee as the Digital Strategy Officer.
Working at Y2i (and within the JCA office) brings a true depth of meaning to my life. I love being involved in a space which has allowed my skills to develop further, but also has real impact on the trajectory of people’s lives, allowing individuals to connect with their Jewish identity and delve deeper into our heritage by visiting Israel at a uniquely impactful age. I am grateful for the opportunity to give back to an organisation we have all gained so much from as members of the Sydney Jewish Community, and to be part of a team who inspire me daily – it is especially wonderful, to work amongst so many strong female mentors.
"Every week I talk to groups of children. It is wonderful to see how they listen. I know I've reached them when I hear the kind of questions they ask. It gives me great hope and satisfaction that I am able to do it."
In November we celebrated the 95th birthday of Holocaust survivor Yvonne Engelmann. She survived the horrors of Auschwitz and immigrated to Australia in 1948. She's been making a lasting impact on thousands of visitors, young and old for three decades now at the Museum.
(In order to ensure confidentiality of their volunteers is protected, no photo has been provided by CSG)
CSG enables me to give back to the community. It’s a noble, necessary cause and our community wouldn’t be able to live so freely without the service that CSG provides. What I found surprising was that throughout my 6 years as a volunteer, no matter how much effort I put into the organisation, I was always receiving more in return. CSG built my confidence, my sense of self and my purpose. The biggest area of gain for me was professionalism & leadership opportunities. In your late teens and early 20s, it’s difficult to sit in job interviews and have many experiences to draw upon when answering curly interview questions. By 22, I had run a team of 33 volunteers for 2 years, led group sessions with more than 150 people and sat in board rooms with directors, CEOs and law enforcement. Thanks to CSG, I could draw on these experiences when it mattered the most to set myself up in the early years of my career. I had never expected this to be a by-product of simply wanting to give back to my community.
Since joining CSG, I’ve started my own business which is where I spend most of my time. I love spending time in the ocean and with my family and friends.
I have always looked to Stand Up as an organisation that I am proud of and identify with as a Jewish person who is passionate about and committed to social justice. I am constantly humbled to be leading this organisation that exists to channel the energy, compassion and expertise of our Jewish community into work with marginalised communities.
I am grateful to have the incredible support of JCA to be able to grow our presence in NSW.
"I love being on the Stand Up board because it's an organisation that aligns closely with my personal values. I believe the programs they coordinate genuinely and successfully engage the Jewish community in social justice initiatives by collaborating and learning from the communities we support"
Jo has been a part of Stand Up for the last 13 years as a passionate volunteer on our Derech Eretz program. Her journey started as a participant on Derech Eretz (a school holiday program to the Aboriginal communities of Toomelah and Boggabilla) in 2009 and developed into a leadership role, facilitating this opportunity for other young Jews . She has led a number of groups to Toomelah and Boggabilla and helped develop the subsequent Camp Connections and Young Adult programs. Following her Observership Program at BJE, Jo is thrilled to have recently joined the Stand Up board. It's a wonderful opportunity to give back to an organisation that she feels so passionately and capably delivers on its promise, enabling the Jewish community to create long term and meaningful partnerships with marginalised communities.
I have been involved in volunteering in the Jewish community since I was a Madricha and then Head of Hineni of Australia, through to JCA, UIA and more. I joined Stand Up because of the values that were instilled in me by my family.
My grandparents are Holocaust survivors and social justice is one of our family's core values. They instilled it in my mother, who then instilled it in me and now I have instilled it in my children. By social justice, I mean not being bystanders, to speak for those who do not have a voice, to stand up for what is right, and fight for the rights of people who can't. When I was approached to join the Stand Up board, I was first honoured to be asked and although I was already working with the NSW Asylum Seeker Centre and on the Emanuel Synagogue Social Justice Committee - I felt that I wanted to focus on making as great an impact as I can and Stand Up has given me that opportunity, to share my lived experiences and give back to the community.
It is such a great team and I love working together with them, especially in building up Stand Up's presence here in Sydney. Courtney Winter-Peters is a fantastic CEO who is leading the organisation forward in leaps and bounds. And despite some obstacles created by COVID, she has built up a robust team in both Sydney and Melbourne to deliver fantastic programs and expand our reach even further. We are in exciting times and I am thrilled to be part of the team!
Don't underestimate the power of a group of Jewish women. I find working with the Jewish community, in particular the female Jewish community, to be an extremely goal-focused, action-oriented, all-hands-on-deck, rewarding experience.
I can trust that an idea or project will be executed in the most meaningful, yet efficient, way.
Our launch event for Empower Her was a particularly amazing experience and outcome for me. 40 people showed up to hear 4 amazing talented, successful and humble Jewish women share their experiences with achieving their dreams and the challenges they encountered along the way. The dynamic was mesmerising and I was very proud of my team for putting together an amazing first event.
After learning about the plight of so many living in period poverty I established the Days for Girls group at NCJWA. From the first few events it has grown continually over five years. During the lockdowns I was truly fortunate to have a good friend help me in transforming a community-workshop process into a make-at-home network. This answered the hopes of all our volunteers wishing to do something worthwhile in isolation.
That seventy volunteers signed up in less than four hours says it all about our wonderful community.
After learning about the plight of so many living in period poverty I established the Days for Girls group at NCJWA. From the first few events it has grown continually over five years. During the lockdowns I was truly fortunate to have a good friend help me in transforming a community-workshop process into a make-at-home network. This answered the hopes of all our volunteers wishing to do something worthwhile in isolation. That seventy volunteers signed up in less than four hours says it all about our wonderful community.
"I love working in the Jewish community, and being a part of such a great organization like the National Council of Jewish Women NSW division as chair of the Jewish Women's Breast Cancer Network (Tikvah V'Or).
Being a breast cancer survivor I can really help support and connect women with breast and other cancers too. I also enjoy fundraising and being an advocate for breast and all cancer research within the community."
This year Tikvah V'Or has supported Zonta Botany Bay who make and distribute the Breast Care cushions to patients in hospital post - surgery. In October, as part of the Centenary celebrations for National Council of Jewish Women, Tikvah V'Or helped to organize the Pink Ribbon Breakfast in the Sukkah and raised money for the National Breast Cancer Foundation. My sister-in-law Julie Chiert and I organized through her business Challah_with_Love and Tali's Kosher Kitchen and raised money for the National Breast Cancer Foundation and Pancare Foundation with a Pink Ribbon and Purple Ribbon Shabbat in October and November. We have also recently donated to Breast Cancer Trials for research. Our Facebook group and network has grown this year and we have been reaching out to members giving them a Jewish connection and support, whether they are at diagnosis, surgery, treatment or survivorship.
We talk a lot about gender diversity these days and JCA, like most other organisations, is keen to get the balance right. JCAs Board is made up of the President of each of our member organisations boards – so we are governed by them. JCA has a 40:40:20 aspiration which we’re working hard on. But it’s not just down to us; it’s down to every organisation we support to do the same. So, here’s some quick facts:
So, come on ladies, step up! Find your favourite charity, one that brings you joy, approach them and start a conversation. Also, check out our Observership program as a launch pad to your board participation. If 26 of you can, we can reach our 40:40:20 goal!
If you would like to discuss further drop us an email at [email protected]
This article was written by Shari Lowe, Head of Planning at JCA
JCA
Education Officer (part-time)
JCA is looking for a high-energy, passionate young educator with initiative and strong organisation skills. This newly created role entails the development and implementation of a JCA school education program within JCA supported schools. Click HERE to see position description.
If you are interested in this role please send a letter and resume to [email protected]
Mount Sinai College
Various Opportunities
https://www.mountsinai.nsw.edu.au/community/jobs-msc
JewishCare NSW
Various Opportunities
https://jewishcare.com.au/work-with-us/current-vacancies/
Montefiore
Various Opportunities
https://montefiore.org.au/careers/residential-care-corporate/
COA Sydney
Various Opportunities
https://www.coasydney.org/jobs
Maccabi NSW
Marketing & Events Specialist
https://maccabi.com.au/hiring
We have gathered together some of the exciting activities and events taking place in our community in the coming month.
Australian Jewish Historical Society:
The AJHS is always looking for archive material with local Jewish communal interest. If you or your organisation has items or documents that you think might be of interest please contact them at [email protected]
Musings: SJM Journal - Issue 2: Reverberations
Call for papers for the next issue of the SJM online journal are now open. Musings: SJM Journal is a cross-disciplinary, scholarly and educational publication that promotes research into all topics relevant to the Sydney Jewish Museum’s exhibitions, collection and programming.
We invite contributions from scholars and practitioners working on original material relating to the issue theme to submit to the journal here.
Women. Life. Freedom. An Iranian Awareness Event.
On Tuesday, Stand Up held an informative online event in partnership with NCJWA, NCJWA (NSW) and NCJWA (VIC) in which viewers were privileged to be joined by two incredible guest speakers from the Iranian community, Nos Hosseini (she/her) a Spokeswomen & Secretary of the Iranian Women’s Association and Sarve Naz Almasi (she/her), Advocate & Iranian Kurdish refugee who both shared their lived experience as well as insights into why women are standing up against injustice.
Hosseini and Almasi, both victims of the regime and having arrived in Australia as refugees, spoke freely and openly to the online crowd of close to 100 people about what is currently happening in Iran.
Moderator, General Manager of Stand Up Speedy Shatari (they/them), explained the concept of “tikkun olam” to the speakers, and how as Jewish people we are compelled to repair the world and that we pride ourselves on being upstanders and not bystanders. With this in mind, Shatari asked the speakers what we, as the Jewish community, can do to support the people of Iran.
The answer seems simple, “raise awareness” said Almasi “as much as you can. Use social media channels, speak to your friends and family members and tell them what is happening in Iran”.
Hosseini closed the night with optimism - "The beauty of what we saw (from this event) was people coming together, irrespective of their beliefs and their religions. We are united and cohesive." This is how we create change.
Bookings open for our 2023 Step Up: B'nei Mitzvah Program Book Here!
Janet Merkur: "I have three members of my family whose lives were saved because my grandparents put them on a Kindertransport. As the Kindertransport Association’s Australian chairperson, I bring to various audiences such as Rotary, the Sydney Jewish Museum and the Centre of Ageing the plight of children trapped in war, their rescue and the horrors and joys they faced. "
For more details head to https://ncjwansw.org.au/events/
'Her Name In Lights' - Grab your ticket here!
Join us for the annual commemoration event – hosted by the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies and other communal organi
sations – in recognition of the plight of Jewish people who were expelled from Islamic countries in the 20th Century. Learn more here!
AJHS Archive of The Hebrew Ladies Benevolent Society: 145 Years of Benevolence & Community Aid
The Hebrew Ladies Benevolent Society (HLBS) operated in Melbourne, Victoria from 1857 to 2018. HLBS celebrated their organisation Centenary in 1957 and the 125th Anniversary in 1982. The organisation was consequently also known as the Melbourne Hebrew Ladies Benevolent Society, and as the Hebrew Ladies. The Organisation was established to aid women facing poverty, the society further expanded its resources to the Jewish aged community and the residential care of Jewish children. After its establishment, it also became one of the limited avenues for women to exercise their talents beyond their restricted domestic role which was a consequence of the patriarchal society that once was. Following the 19th Century and into the 20th Century, the HLBS served as an important function in supporting and aiding Jewish refugees to Australia, following the World Wars. The organisation name and establishment was influenced by the term ‘Benevolent’, or the act of doing good for others, this term is a fundamental tenet in Jewish Life, the notion of giving to the poor is an obligation in Judaism and stems from the Hebrew term ‘Tzedakah’ which means the act of charity to the poor but also encompasses acts of justice, righteousness, and fairness.
At its formation in 1857, the society was comprised mainly of Wives from the Melbourne Jewish Philanthropic Society Committee (MJSP), this society was the primary monetary source for HLBS in the 19th century. Although records from their first gathering have survived this far, the first meeting notes do not include the first names of the founding members, which can be attributed to the patriarchal world at the time. The first gathering was at the Chambers of the Melbourne Hebrew Congregation, these chambers were erected in 1848 with the new building being consecrated in 1855. For many years, prominent Jewish male community leaders presided over the annual general meetings, these were always held in very well-known public venues such as the one mentioned above and others.
At the first meeting on May 17th, 1857, the founding members appointed Mrs Mosely Hyman as the President of the society. Mrs Hyman stayed in this role for the following 5 years, during this time she was also teaching Hebrew and giving Bar-Mitzvah lessons to the young boys from the local community. Others mentioned and appointed roles at this first meeting were Mrs E. Moses who would act as the first Treasurer and Mrs. Benjamin who was the first Secretary. Others on the committee were Mrs H. Raphael, Mrs M. Marks, Mrs S. Levey, Mrs I. Frankel, Mrs E. Myers, Mrs Benjamin, and Mrs A. Solomon.
This first congregation concurred to establish an institution for the relief of distressed married women and their children. Originally, those being helped were to be of the Jewish faith and assistance was to be given only to cases of confinement and sickness. It was noted in many annual general meeting reports that there were medical officers working with the society to help those in need. The organisation immediately acquired donations from members of the Melbourne Hebrew Congregation. The society was met with some backlash from the MJPS after suggesting that donations from the reading of the Torah were to be given to them (HLBS). A few years later, the East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation (the other breakaway congregation) agreed to divide the funds collected at the Brith Mila.
The Archives of the HLBS held at AJHS, dates from 1930 to 2018, with the concentration of records dating from the late 1990's to the 2000's. A significant volume of the collection includes details of the 'Bachelors' and Hosts' Balls', popular in Melbourne during the 20th century. The Bachelors' and Hosts' Balls Committee was a significant auxiliary group of the HLBS and provided an avenue of funding for the Society's philanthropic endeavour.
Image: Newspaper article "Commemorating 145 years of the Society’s activities, the Australian Jewish News, 1 April 2005."
MABEL VICTORIA SOLOMON (1882-1964) Mabel Solomon, nee Ackman, was born 12 January 1882 in Fitzroy, Melbourne. She was the daughter of Henry Ackman (1848-95) and Rachel Jacobs (1855-1900). In 1905, Mabel married Edgar Emanuel Solomon and they had four children, Louis (1906-93), Henry (1909- 73), Edgar Jr. (1914-42) and Esther (1915- 2002). She devoted all her adult life to charity work especially the Melbourne Hebrew Ladies Benevolent Society where she was President in 1927. She died on 11 March 1964 at her home in Brighton Beach, where she had lived for over 50 years. Special mention was made of Mrs Solomon in the Centenary Annual Report of 1957. She had served on the committee for 36 years with distinction. Soon after her death, the Hebrew Ladies established a memorial fund in her honour. This fund was to provide a permanent annual bequest to the Society.
The Women Exibitions:
We took a walk through our exhibitions to highlight the strong women whose stories are central to the history we teach and have made their mark on Sydney’s Jewish community. Read the full blog here!
Celebrating one of the strong women in the Purim story:
On International Women’s Day, and on the eve of Purim, we look at one of the powerful women in the Book of Esther, as a pioneer of feminism and women’s activism to break the status quo. Read the full blog here!
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